Third-rail system.



No. 766,625. PATBNTED AUG. 2, 1904. T. JENKINS.

THIRD RAIL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1004.

R0 MODEL.

Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS JENKINS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

THIRD-RAIL SYSTEM.

STECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,625, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed April 6, 1904. Serial No. 201,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J ENKINS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Third-Rail System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the third-rail system for the propelling of cars, its principal objects being to furnish an effective protecting-cover for the rail and a convenient support for the contact-shoe which will permit said shoe to be moved into and out of the cover and coaction with the rail.

It consists in the various features and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of. this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through a portion of a railway-track with a car indicated thereon to which one embodiment of my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, but with the third-rail cover removed; and Fig. 3 is a broken sectional detail on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

1O designates the cross members or ties of a railway-track, to which are fixed the tractionrails 11. Beside the rails and extending longitudinally of the track are beams or supports 12, 13, and 14:, which may have interposed between them and the ties a sheet or base 15, of insulating material. Upon the center support 12 is mounted a third rail 16, and by the support 13 is carried the protecting member or cover proper, which is here shown as an angular member, preferably formed of sheet metal, and extending, first, vertically upward at 17 to a point above the rail, then substantially at right angles horizontally at 18 over said rail, and, finally, downward for a short distance at 19 toward the support 1 1, leaving a considerable opening. This cover is preferably formed in sections, and that here illustrated is hinged to a base 20, so that it may be turned back to leave the rail entirely ex- The sections may, however, be fixed posed.

to the base. The cover is strengthened at suitable intervals by stays 21, conveniently in the form of T-irons, riveted to the portion 17 and having a head 22 extending for a suitable distance under the portion 18 and also riveted to it. At the lower extremity of each stay is a foot 23, which in the hinged form of the cover may coact with the supporting-beam and serve to position the cover-section to which it is secured with relation to the third rail and in the fixed form of the cover will strengthen and stiffen the structure. If desired, the cover may be lined with insulating material, (indicated at 24.) This assists the insulating-base in preventing grounds by accidental contact of the shoe.'

At the opposite side of the third rail from the cover proper is a member serving as a wall to partially close the opening between the lower edge of the depending portion 19 and the support 14. This may consist of an angle-iron 25, bolted by one arm to the sup port and having its other arm extending to ward the portion 19 and leaving a comparatively narrow opening 26, preferably of sufficient width only to admit the contact-shoe and allow some slight room for vertical play.

Upon the rails 11 is shown a portion of a car C, to which is fixed an arm or bracket 27. In this bracket is rotatably mounted or swiveled a rod or standard 28, preferably by a conical end portion 29, which engages a corresponding opening in the bracket and may be clamped therein by a nut 30, operating upon the upper threaded end 30" of the standard and capable of being turned down into contact with the bracket. At the lower end of the standard is hinged or articulated an arm 31, which carries at its outer end a cross-bar 32. From this cross-bar depend links 33 33, having pivotally mounted upon them a contact-shoe 3 1 for coaction with the third rail.

To partially compensate for the weight of the shoe, allowing it to rest with some force upon the third rail and still maintain a position not far removed from the horizontal when out of coaction therewith, a tension-spring 35 may be connected to the standard and arm. As here shown, this spring is located within and secured to one end of a chamber 36, formed at the end of a link 37, articulated to the arm 31, and extending into this chamber and also secured to the spring is a link 38, pivoted at its opposite or upper end to the standard.

In use the arm is turned by means of the swiveled standard through the opening in the cover so that the shoe rests upon the third rail. Here it may be clamped against lateral displacement under the influence of the movement of the car by turning down the nut 30 to draw the conical end of the standard into the opening in the bracket. Current is now transmitted from the rail to the car-motor in the ordinary manner. If the use of the shoe is not desired, it may be turned out of coaction with the rail by a loosening of the nut and swinging the arm to a position longitudinal of vand parallel to the car, at which point it may be engaged by retaining 'members or spring-clips 39, which are here shown as mounted upon the lower extremity of an arm 40, fixed to the car. These clips not only obviate any danger of the arm and shoe swinging out and striking objects along the track, but also relieve the compensating spring of a portion of the weight and prevent jarring of the elements. The hinging of the arm to the standard and the mounting of the contact-shoe upon the links permits the rise and fall of the car with relation to the rails and the turning of sharp curves without damage to the arm.

The cover serves to protect the rail from the accumulation of snow and ice and also prevents injury to persons by accidental contact therewith. It may be very lightly and inexpensively constructed and readily secured in place upon the track without any especial supporting structure. The hinging of the cover-sections enables the rail to .be easily exposed for inspection or renewal.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. The combination with a car and a third rail, of a cover for the rail having a side opening, a bracket fixed to the car, a standard rotatable in the bracket, an arm hinged to the standard, a shoe carried by the outer end of the arm, said arm and shoe being movable through the opening in the cover, and a springclip fixed to the car and which may engage the arm.

2. The combination with a car, of a bracket fixed thereto and provided with a conical opening, a standard having a conical portion coacting with the opening, a threaded portion projecting beyond the bracket, a nut operating on said threaded portion, an arm hinged to the standard, and a shoe carried by the arm.

3. The combination with a car, of a bracket fixed thereto, a standard rotatably mounted in the bracket, an arm hinged to the standard, a shoe carried by the arm, and retaining means for the arm into coaction with which it may scribing witnesses.

TH OS. JENKINS.

Witnesses:

FRED. W. BELOHER, THos. A. DIX. 

